Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 review: The fun camera, just don’t get serious with it

Fujifilm Instax Wide 300

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a throwback to the times when photography was not such a perfect art, at least not in the hand of the amateur. It reminds you of a time when the results of a click could badly disappoint, or pleasantly surprise, you and was not the perfect picture spawned by a bunch of shots in the burst mode.

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Yes, the Instax Wide 300 even looks like a camera that will feel at home in a cupboard with platform shoes and terri cotton shirts. It is also as simple as a camera can be. Load the 10-paper cartridge inside the body along with four AA batteries, switch on and you are ready to shoot. The camera has f=95mm lens with a 3m~ ∞ range. It is big, but not heavy.

Specs: Film size: 86 x 108mm | Picture size: 62 x 99mm | Lens: f = 95 mm | viewfinder: Real image finder, 0.37 x, with target spot | Electronic shutter: 1/64 sec – 1/200 sec. | Exposure control: Automatic, Interlocking range (ISO 800) | Four AA 1.5 V alkaline batteries | 167.8mm x 94.7mm x 120.9mm, 612g (without battery, strap, film pack, and close up lens)

Price: Rs 8,214

So why buy an instant camera? 

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a fun camera. (Source: Nandagopal Rajan)

I guess that has to be the first question on everyone’s mind, especially when every camera that we have these days — be it a DSLR or a smartphone — can show you what you are shooting and what you have shot right away.  But then the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 is a fun camera. It is the sort of birthday gift both your 7-year-old daughter and seventy-year-old mother will enjoy. It is pure fun.

Let’s just forget about the photos for a bit. My four-year-old son too thought it was pure magic that his father could click and photo and he could hold his frame within seconds. But then he hasn’t seen much of printed photographs. He is just not from that generation. But even for me there is still some thrill in waiting those crucial few seconds to see what I have shot. There is no LCD panel here to see before you print nor is the viewfinder good enough to give you a premonition of what you put on paper.

So there is no real reason in buying an Instant camera these days, but for a little bit of disposable income and an urge to indulge in some nostalgic fun.

Are the photos any good?

The Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 can be a bit intriguing when it comes to the photos. (Source: Nandagopal Rajan)

Well, that is a tough one. If you asked me this question with this camera three decades a back I would have said yes in a resounding fashion. But then this is not 1985 and we don’t stick underexposed or burnt out photos in our albums anymore.
While I would love to gift this camera to a child and nurture their talent for photography, using this camera is no child’s play.

Even for someone like me, who started shooting with an old world Sear Electra camera, the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 can be a bit intriguing. For instance the viewfinder does not give a good idea of the frame, then you need to know your distances. Anything shot within 0.9 metres could come really blurred. Add the closeup lens appendage and you can click decent self portraits, but that doesn’t not help click other close-ups.

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You can lighten or darken your photos by using the toggle, but then you need to understand lighting to be able to know what you need to do. The workaround is to click one photo first and then improve on it, but then at close to Rs 60 per shot you might not do that often.

However, the photos are good when the subject is about 3 metres away. At that range everything is sharp and the flash does not kill the pictures. Or you shoot under the sun to get near perfect shot… near perfect, but never perfect.

You would tend to use this camera for capturing faces. It is great for those family shots. Just keep it somewhere handy so that you don’t miss those memorable occasions and the snap can go in the fridge right away.

No, you will not use this to click flowers or sunset. That kind of optimism just won’t take you anywhere. And remember you can’t share these photos, the sole reason why many of us take photographs.

Should you buy it?

Yes, if you are looking for a fun gift for you children or your parents. Those in between these age groups might just not appreciate what it means to have a photograph ruined because you have no idea about the framing or lighting. It is still a fun gadget to have in the house. Go ahead and indulge yourself if you can afford to.